This application relates generally to wire or cable severing, as well as stripping sheathing from severed wire, and controllable endwise transport of wire or cable. More particularly, it concerns unusually advantageous apparatus and method effecting such severing, stripping, and endwise transport of wire or cable.
There is continual need for equipment capable of severing wire or cable into sections, and also capable of rapidly and efficiently stripping sheathing off ends of those sections. It is desirable that these functions be carried out as a wire or cable travels along generally the same axis, i.e., progresses forwardly, and that multiple wire and cable sections of selected length be produced, each having its opposite ends stripped of sheathing, to expose bare metal core wire at each end.
More generally, there is need for very simple, effective, and reliable apparatus to controllably sever wire or cable, strip insulation therefrom, and controllably drive wire or cable to and from work stations at which wire or wire end portions are processed, and with minimum power requirements. Provision for means to enable different size wires to have the same endwise travel center line is also needed. The word "wire" herein will be used to designate wire or cable.
There is need to provide separate wire cutting and insulation stripping blades where the blades are located adjacent one another for simplicity of design and ease of cut insulation slug removal, and/or where there is ability to easily change between "V"-type and "die"-type blades, and/or where blade configuration may change, as for cutting heavy-duty cable, or for cutting extremely small diameter cable, or for cutting cable of sizes between heavy duty and extremely small diameter.